Christmas Cookie Countdown & How to make them healthier #TuesdayTip #HealthyLiving #Recipe

I’m not really a baker, but I love cookies and cakes! Especially cookies. This time of year is both glorious and difficult since I’m sticking to my goal of eating healthier, but those Christmas cookies and treats are so so tempting.

Today’s tip is simple: A link to the awesome Betty Crocker Christmas Cookie Countdown. If you can’t find a cookie that you’ll like on there . . . Well, I don’t know what to say to that.

As for me, I’ll try a couple of these when I have more time and I think I’ll try making some of them healthier with some substitutions. For example, you can substitute a can of diet soda or seltzer in brownie and cake mixes instead of the oil and eggs. Applesauce and mashed bananas can be used as well in lieu of the oil for some cakes, brownies and cookies. You can click here for The Ultimate Guide to Healthier Baking infographic which has a number of other substitutions you can make for healthier eating.

Coconut Oil has also become one of those things to have handy and use as a substitute for butter. Click here for the 10 Best Sugar Cookie Recipes Using Coconut Oil!
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#WriteWed Recipes for the Romantic Soul

I’ve been stuck on the next scene for EMBRACE THE NIGHT, but had a revelation this morning about it! Yeah. I’ll write it on the way home and hopefully have this story ready for you in early September. I’ll also have a new book for you with a baseball hero – ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. This is a contemporary romance revolving around a fictional NJ baseball team. The sequel to it – A WINNING SEASON – will be out in October.

Today’s Write Wednesday inspiration is all about recipes. You know I’ve been sharing them with you and I’ve decided to put them all together into a cookbook. I’ve been searching for the just right image for the cover and in truth, it occurred to me that just one image would not do it. I like the idea of a collage for the front cover of the book. RECIPES FOR THE ROMANTIC SOUL will not only have recipes, it’ll have stories about my family, friends and/or scenes in my books that inspired the recipe.

For now, if you’d like to try out some recipes, please visit the Cook’s Treat section of the website!
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Shrimp Stir Fry

Last week was a clean the fridge out kind of dinner and I had a craving for something Chinese. So I came up with this combination of veggies and shrimp for a quick meal. I always keep pre-cooked frozen shrimp in the freezer since it’s so easy to whip up a meal with them!

Ingredients

2 tbsp peanut oil
1 cup thinly sliced baby carrots
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
3 cups cooked and sliced string beans
1/2 cup cashews
2 cups pre-cooked frozen shrimp – thawed, tails removed
1 tsp corn starch
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup low salt soy sauce

Directions

In a wok or big saute pan, heat the oil and start cooking the sliced carrots.

After about 3-5 minutes, add the mushrooms. Keep it on high heat to dry off the moisture the mushrooms emit, otherwise everything will be soggy.

Once most of the mushroom liquid is gone, add the string beans, garlic, sesame oil and cashews. Toss it up and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the teriyaki and soy sauce. Cook for another few minutes and then add the shrimp to warm it up. Do not overcook at this point. Just 2 to 3 minutes on high heat.

You should have some moisture still in the pan from the shrimp, etc. Mix the corn starch with about 2 tbsp of water in a separate dish. Once the corn starch is dissolved, add that to your shrimp and veggies and stir. Within a minute or so you’ll see the whole mix get a nice glaze to it and the liquid left in the pot should tighten up and not be so runny.

That’s it! Time to eat. You can serve this over white or brown rice, but I’m watching my carbs so I ate it just as it is! This recipe is about 2 hearty servings. You can change it up by adding bean sprouts, water chestnuts, baby corn, etc. or using cooked beef or pork.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend! See you on Monday (and Tuesday) for our big Seductive Supernatural Release party! We’ll have prizes and more for you!

Also check out our contest at Fresh Fiction which has over $250 in prizes! Woo hoo!
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